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This year's Champions League group stage has some of the same matchups from the previous campaign, but that doesn’t make them any less tasty. Below are the groups which were drawn earlier today, along with the match day schedule and a brief overview of each group.
Matchday 1: September 16th and 17th
Matchday 2: September 30th and October 1st
Matchday 3: October 21st and 22nd
Matchday 4: November 4th and 5th
Matchday 5: November 25th and 26th
Matchday 6: December 9th and 10th
Group A: Atletico Madrid (ESP), Juventus (ITA), Olympiacos (GRE) and Malmo (SWE).
This is an entertaining group that sees three solid teams vying for two spots. The champions of Sweden, Malmö FF, are outmatched here and probably won’t make it out of the group, but are good enough to stir the pot regarding the other three team's futures. Atleti and Juventus are obviously the front runners and for good reason. Athleti are coming off a banner year while Juventus are the defending Serie A champions. Olympiacos seemed to be on their way to the last eight in last year's UCL campaign, but choked away a two aggregate lead to a rubbish David Moyes-led Manchester United team. The Greek side could have it in them to get out of the group, but it isn’t probable.
Group B: Real Madrid (ESP), Basel (SUI), Liverpool (ENG), and Ludogorets (BUL).
Headliners Liverpool and Real Madrid shouldn’t have a tough time getting out of this group. They should be able to beat Ludogorets in their sleep, while Basel could be a trap game. The match between the Reds and Los Blancos will be must-see TV.
Liverpool will need Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling at their best to go deep in the Champions League. (Photo: @LFCUSA | Twitter)
Group C: Benfica (POR), Zenit (RUS), Leverkusen (GER) and Monaco (FRA).
This is probably the most competitive of the eight groups in the Champions League. It could really finish in any order and every match is a big one. Bayer Leverkusen are the front runners for us here at The18, with Benfica and Zenit close seconds. Monaco isn’t a terrible team and will put up a fight, but with rumors of Radamel Falcao leaving, things will only get tougher for the Ligue 1 representatives.
Group D: Arsenal (ENG), Dortmund (GER), Galatasaray (TUR) and Anderlecht (BEL).
A group that gives us the same vibe as Group A, but with a little more staying power. English giants Arsenal and Dortmund met in the group stage last year in which they split the two meetings. Galatasaray once again are placed in a tough group, but the Turks are Champions League regulars and are a nasty team that you can’t afford to sleep on. They have plenty of experience going up against major clubs and we wouldn’t be surprised to see either Arsenal or Dortmund left out of the elimination stages.
Group E: Bayern Munich (GER), Manchester City (ENG), CSKA Moscow (RUS) and Roma (ITA).
This year's group of death sees another deja vu moment. Bayern Munich and Manchester City were in the same group last year. Instead of having low level Plzen as the third team, it will be Roma along with 2013 group members CSKA Moscow. Roma adds a new element to the group and are great quality, but probably won’t have enough to knock off the Bundesliga and Premier League champs. CSKA will need a miracle to get out of a group. Or just a lot of frigid weather.
This was Ashley Cole's face when he saw Roma's Champions League group drawing. (Photo: @guardian_sport | Twitter)
Group F: Barcelona (ESP), Paris St. Germain (FRA), Ajax (NED), and APOEL (CYP).
Barcelona and Ajax shared a group last year and will do it again this year. However, instead of Milan being the other major squad, it will be Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Paris St. Germain squad. The Barcelona vs. PSG match up is mouth watering and both teams will likely end up in the next stage. That said, it is possible for a talented young Ajax team to find their confidence and do just enough to squeak through. Possible but not likely. APOEL, bring lots of ice packs, this is going to be a rough one for you.
PSG hope all the money they've spent will pay off this Champions League season. It starts with the always entertaining Zlatan Ibrahimovic. (Photo:diariodiez | Twitter)
Group G: Chelsea (ENG), Schalke (GER), Sporting (POR) and Maribor (SVN).
The draw wasn’t kinder to any club more than it was to Chelsea. Reunited with Schalke, who they beat 6-0 aggregate, won’t give Chelsea fits this time around either, while Sporting does have talent but not enough to compete at this level. Maribor, just enjoy the ride.
Group H: Porto (POR), Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR), Athletic (ESP) and BATE (BLR).
Another very wide open group sees Porto leading the way and, while they may be challenge, we still see the consistent Portuguese club finishing atop the group. Second place will be an interesting race as Athletic Bilbao showed promise in beating a Napoli team to get into the group stage. They should take care of business and advance as Shakhtar Donetsk is in a state of limbo. With the conflict in Ukraine, we don’t feel comfortable picking them, but they have the quality to get thought the group should they pull everything together. BATE have qualified five of the last six years and can push some of the other teams in the group, but will likely have an early exit.
